The Good Life

Have you ever...

• waited months for a book from your local library? Then stay up all night to try to finish reading it?
• woke up to happy, laughing children, just to discover your head hurts so bad you feel that you are going blind in one eye?
• tried to cook breakfast, but are so slow that your 5yr old takes over and it tastes delicious? (He even spread my popover with butter and jelly)
• been surprised by husband with a thoughtful gift? NO special occasion?
• had almost everything turn out just the way you hoped?

That's kinda what my day has been like. Wonderful!
Check out these cute little chocolates! Aren't they adorable? Yes... I'm still a choc-aholic, guess I always will be.

Happy Birthday Bella

Today we celebrated Bella's first birthday! It truly is amazing how fast time passes, and how much our lives have changed in a single year. She has brought so much joy to our little family.

Bella is not yet walking, but I think we're getting close. Also, her teeth are finally starting to come in... ALL. AT. ONCE. Yes, poor babe. Her first two came in about 3 weeks ago, her top two about 3 days ago, and her gums are swollen, promising to reveal more teeth very soon. She hasn't been eating too much, but that didn't stop her from digging into some birthday chocolate cream pie.

Happy Birthday Bella!

Farm Tour

This past weekend we headed up North for the 9th annual Skagit Valley Farm Tour. Skagit Valley is about 1.5 hours North of Seattle, and absolutely beautiful. There were a total of 16 operating farms to visit, including Alpaca farms, a Shellfish Farm, and a Creamery, just to name a few. Being that we had a very late start... call it lack of better planning... we only visited two. Which was plenty! We met a young Highland Heifer, her hair felt almost human-like. Then we were able to taste Highland Beef, which was very lean and tasty. It felt rather strange to stand in a barn, petting a young heifer, while chewing on one of her ancestors.

Higland Cattle

Noah was able to pet baby farm animals, hold 5 day old chicks, come nose to nose with a goat, and chase free range hens all over the farm. Those hens were relieved to see Noah climb back into our car. We were able to see Free Range Chickens, Free Range Turkeys, and a slew of other farm animals and activities. Despite the cold, wet day, it was educational and fun. Before we left we purchased some eggs, sausage, and a chuck roast. YUM!

Free Range Hens

BANG-BANG

I WANT to go outside, really I do. I will bang on this old, leaking, single-pane glass window until my mother gets the point. Hopefully it will break, then I'll have an easy escape route. Even Noah cheers me on. I don't care if it is cold and wet out there, besides, I like to squish my hands in the dirt. Cat-poop?? Well, it's just like dirt to me. I love to catch bugs, and let them crawl on me, but for some strange reason, they don't crawl so well after I've tenderly lifted them out of the dirt. Oh yeah, there are some tasty treats out there too... rocks, leaves, grass, and many other small not yet identified objects. Sometimes I'm so quick, mom has no chance of prying the delicious yumminess from my lips. OHHH, how I long to be outside!

Nifty Trick

This is so totally cool! If I were the neat, organized person that I have been raised to be, I would have planned this out a little better and taken a before/after photo for you to see... but this is no time to dwaddle on my short-comings.
Okay, on to this totally fabulous trick my favorite Tea gal clued me in on.
Did you know that you can clean/remove the old tea stains from your white mugs? Maybe you already know this...

Pour in a little vinegar, and scrub-a dub-dub. TA-DA!!! White again. Who knew?? I surely didn't!